THE BUSINESS MASTER PLAYBOOKOne of the biggest challenges to starting and running a business is trying to create order out of what can seem like a chaotic experience. Having a written and documented plan in place will help you, and your employees have a sense of order and consistency in the
daily course of business operations. By doing things in a consistent manner, your customers will grow to rely on and trust that your business will deliver the same quality each and every time, which is vital for small business success. |
A written operational plan will also help you to create a “way of doing things” as opposed to “the way the owner does things”. The difference seems slight, but it can be the determining factor if your business succeeds or fails. You want to build a business that is its own entity, separate from you. As Michael Gerber says in the classic book, The E-Myth, “If they don’t fail outright, most businesses fail to fully achieve their potential. That’s because the person who owns the business doesn’t truly know how to build a company that works without him or her.. which is the key.” Your goal as a business owner is to have a business that can effectively operate whether you are present or not. A business that can only function if you are there running it, isn’t a business, it’s a job. The Small Business Playbook was created to help small business owners get the most out of their businesses and to serve as a valuable resource.
WHAT'S INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS MASTER...
The manual is written with proven business best practices and is made up of the following categories:
Pre-Opening. Use this as a guide when you are in the pre-opening stage of your
business. From financing to business planning, this section is full of business best practices, advice, and useful
forms and resources.
Branding & Marketing. Your marketing plan will be created and implemented before you open for
business. Creating a clear, written marketing plan will help keep you focused on who
your customer is and how to reach them. Your brand is your communication with your audience. It is your promise to your customer. It is the stories that you tell through your content, your media, and market image.
Team Resources. This is the largest, and possibly the most important section of the
manual. If you cannot hire, train and manage people effectively, you will never be able
to grow your business.
Finance. Keeping a tab on your business finances is vital to your success. Use the
spreadsheets in this section to help plan out the budget and cash flow for your business. You may decide to run your financials in house or use a professional. Either way, this area will keep you and your team on track with your financial goals, strategies, and commitments.
Operations. Many consider effective operations as a series of checklists. For each
activity you do in your business from sun up to sun down should be documented in detail...
from greeting customers, dealing with issues, to cleaning at the end of the night, your entire team should know of what should be done.
+ Many Tools, Templates, and Worksheets to implement strategies and update processes.
Pre-Opening. Use this as a guide when you are in the pre-opening stage of your
business. From financing to business planning, this section is full of business best practices, advice, and useful
forms and resources.
Branding & Marketing. Your marketing plan will be created and implemented before you open for
business. Creating a clear, written marketing plan will help keep you focused on who
your customer is and how to reach them. Your brand is your communication with your audience. It is your promise to your customer. It is the stories that you tell through your content, your media, and market image.
Team Resources. This is the largest, and possibly the most important section of the
manual. If you cannot hire, train and manage people effectively, you will never be able
to grow your business.
Finance. Keeping a tab on your business finances is vital to your success. Use the
spreadsheets in this section to help plan out the budget and cash flow for your business. You may decide to run your financials in house or use a professional. Either way, this area will keep you and your team on track with your financial goals, strategies, and commitments.
Operations. Many consider effective operations as a series of checklists. For each
activity you do in your business from sun up to sun down should be documented in detail...
from greeting customers, dealing with issues, to cleaning at the end of the night, your entire team should know of what should be done.
+ Many Tools, Templates, and Worksheets to implement strategies and update processes.